North Sea News


Point by point: intervention

Aug 01, 2014

In advance of OE’s 2014 Deepwater Intervention Forum held in Galveston, Texas, Managing Editor Audrey Leon spoke with representatives of Helix Energy Solutions, FMC Technologies, and consultant Robert Keith of R.J. Keith & Associates, to discuss topics affecting the intervention sector…

Planning for success

Aug 01, 2014

Optimum completion. Photo from Weatherford. Weatherford’s Yvonne McAnally and Ben Lake show how collaboration and integrated methodology delivered an operator’s first subsea well project in Norway…

Making light work in heavy lifting

Aug 01, 2014

The Rambiz 3000 carrying Wintershall’s L6-B mono-tower platform. Image from Scaldis.  Belgian and Dutch contractors have taken minimal facilities to the next level by installing a mono-tower platform and its foundations together…

ConocoPhilliips extends Archer contract

Jul 31, 2014

ConocoPhillips has extended its contract Archer Ltd. for the provision of platform drilling services for the Greater Ekofisk Area. The Greater Ekofisk Area is located in the southern part of the North Sea, 300km southwest of Stavanger…

P&A problems

Jul 30, 2014

The Fugro Synergy. From Fugro Drilling and Well Services. Plugging and abandonment accounts for about 43% of decommissioning costs. Operators and service companies are looking at ways to reduce the bill…

Valemon topside arrival

Jul 29, 2014

Statoil released a video showing the Valemon topside arriving on 26 July 2014 near Stavanger, Norway after a 40-day trip from South Korea. The topsides set sail in June from the Geoje yard in South Korea, where Statoil contracted…

Lime Petroleum surrenders 3 North Sea licenses

Jul 28, 2014

Lime Petroleum Norway, a jointly-controlled entity of Malaysia-based Hibiscus Petroleum Berhad and Singapore-based Rex International, surrendered three licenses in the North Sea, following the deadline for a drill or drop decision by 23 July 2014…

Statoil’s Valemon topsides installed

Jul 28, 2014

Topsides were lifted into place on the 9150-tonne steel jacket on the Valemon field in the Norwegian North Sea on 28 July, operator Statoil announced. Statoil's Valemon. Photo from Statoil's Andre Osmundsen…

The HPHT challenge

Jul 25, 2014

Total E&P UK’s HPHT Elgin Franklin complex. Image from Total E&P UK.  High-pressure, high-temperature developments are on the increase in the UK North Sea…

Trending upward

Jul 25, 2014

Launched in 2010, CGG’s Oceanic Vega is a purpose-built high-capacity seismic vessel optimized for reduced noise and fuel consumption. It carries DNV-CLEAN notation for the lowest environmental impact. Photo from CGG…

Tidal energy projects inch forward

Jul 25, 2014

Former SSE utility boss Ian Marchant has joined tidal energy firm Nova Innovation as its chairman.  Marchant was chief executive of SSE, a large UK-based utility company, for 10 years, before standing down in 2013.  Earlier this year…

SPE Aberdeen milestone

Jul 24, 2014

The Society of Petroleum Engineers' (SPE) Aberdeen section is making a milestone this year - it is the group's 40th anniversary - with a black tie dinner at top tier industry speakers from Shell, BP, Statoil, and Schlumberger.  The…

PLSV Sapura Diamante sea trials

Jul 23, 2014

Watch as pipelay support vessel Sapura Diamante undergoes trials in the North Sea. IHC Merwede's fully-integrated pipelay vessel, a first for the Dutch shipbuilder, was contracted by SapuraKencana and Seadrill Brazilian joint venture…

uHPHT tax consultation launched

Jul 23, 2014

The UK Government has launched a consultation into a proposed tax allowance to encourage investment in ultra-high-pressure, high-temperature (uHPHT) oil and gas fields in the UK North Sea. The allowance could reduce the tax on a portion of a company's profits from 62% to 30%…

Det norske spuds wildcat

Jul 23, 2014

Det norske oljeselskap has spudded exploration well 2/9–5 S in production license 494, in the Norwegian North Sea, targeting the Heimdalshø prospect using the Maersk Giant jackup rig.  The well spudded 21 July, said Fortis Petroleum, a partner on the project…

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